For the most part, we expect a face to be illuminated and seen for its features—to give the impression that an individual, alone in a group, is distinguished or peculiar. Here no such evidence is offered. The face is at best an outline, defined by exaggerated black. There is evidence, however, that these people, likely all male, are sitting, and that in the curve of their bodies and angular rise of their heads, they are paying attention. Despite this silhouetting of  forms, certain indicators give away traces of their individuality, such as the white or brown clothes of the middle figures. Hence we might appraise these darkling figures for something other than their faces.

— Emmanuel Iduma

The whole series, Almost Everything Has Happened, was photographed in my home in Johannesburg. I sourced archival and contemporary footage and then photographed specific frames. The selected image is of a South African taxi strike in 1969. Using a digital process I developed I then edited the photographs to visually depict the effects of identity erasure and displacement that happens to underrepresented and disregarded communities in Africa due to historic and modern day colonialism.

The series was triggered by the question of how Africa has gotten to the place it is today. A place of extreme disparity between the haves and the have nots. I wanted to trace back this history using media as a tool of traveling back in time and looking at the present to show what has changed and what remained the same.

Photography has the power to reveal what has been previously unseen and provide a new context to human experiences. I approach photography with a sense of curiosity, research and empathy. Currently in my practice I’m interested in how technology can be used in photography to enhance the specific project’s narrative.

— Kwazokuhle Phakathi

Kwazokuhle Phakathi is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in Johannesburg, South Africa, working mainly in the mediums of photography, text and performances. You can see more of his work on Photoworks and on Instagram.